Navigation-assisted fitness and dieting device

• US 7,534,206 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Fisher, Claudette D., Lovitt, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasser; Robert L
• Application Number:
  US11/230,062
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A navigation-assisted fitness device broadly comprising a location determining component, a fitness monitoring component and a display. The location determining component determines location data for a user of the device as the user exercises. The fitness monitoring component is coupled with the location determining component and calculates fitness information for the user as the user exercises. The display displays the fitness information and other information and data.

The fitness information may include an indication of the intensity level of the user'"'"'s exercise, the total amount of calories burned by the user during the exercise, the amount of fat calories burned, and the amount of carbohydrate calories burned. The device calculates the ratio of fat calories burned versus carbohydrate calories burned based on the intensity level. As the user increases or decreases the intensity level of an exercise, the device recalculates and displays the ratio or percentage of total calories burned from fat reserves and from carbohydrate reserves.

Claims

1. A navigation-assisted fitness device comprising:

a GPS receiver for receiving satellite signals from a plurality of GPS satellites and for calculating current location data for a user as the user exercises;

a fitness monitoring component coupled with the GPS receiver for calculating fitness information for the user as the user exercises, the fitness information including an intensity level of the exercise and an indication of an amount of fat calories and carbohydrate calories being burned as a result of the intensity level;

a display for displaying the fitness information in real-time, the displayed fitness information including a separate indication of the amount of fat calories and carbohydrate calories being burned;

a portable housing for housing the GPS receiver, the fitness monitoring component, and the display; and

a strap for removably attaching the housing to the user'"'"'s wrist or forearm.

2. The fitness device of claim 1, wherein the fitness information further includes a total amount of calories burned by the user during the exercise.

3. The fitness device of claim 1, wherein the intensity level is an indication of the user'"'"'s heart rate while performing the exercise.

4. The fitness device of claim 1, wherein the fitness monitoring component is operable to receive from the user an indication of a target amount of calories to burn and to determine an amount and type of exercise that can be completed to burn the target amount of calories.

5. The fitness device of claim 4, wherein the fitness monitoring component is operable to determine several exercise options for the amount and type of exercise that must be completed to burn the target amount of calories.

6. The fitness device of claim 1, wherein the fitness information includes an indication of a type and amount of food that may be consumed by the user to equal the total calories burned during the exercise.

7. The fitness device of claim 1, further including a heart rate monitor coupled with the fitness monitoring component for monitoring a heart rate of the user and for sending corresponding heart rate data to the fitness monitoring component.

8. The fitness device of claim 1, wherein the location data includes geographic coordinates.

9. The fitness device of claim 1, wherein the location data is displayed over a cartographic map.

10. The fitness device of claim 1, wherein the fitness monitoring component is operable to track and record a total distance traveled by the user over multiple exercise sessions and to display a representation of the total distance over a map.

11. The fitness device of claim 1, wherein the fitness monitoring component is operable to track and record a total amount of calories burned by the user over multiple exercise sessions and to display an indication of a type and amount of food that is equivalent to the total calories burned.

12. The fitness device of claim 1, wherein the fitness monitoring component is further operable to present a real-time comparison of the amount of fat calories being burned to the amount of carbohydrate calories being burned.

13. The fitness device of claim 12, wherein the fitness monitoring component is operable to generate a ratio of burned fat calories to burned carbohydrate calories.